Expert guide to Paris

An insider's guide to the best places to eat in Paris, including Michelin-starred restaurants, traditional cafés and cheap French cuisine. By Natasha Edwards, Telegraph Travel's Paris expert.

Although the grand French gastronomic meal has just been beatified by Unesco, that gives little indication of the sheer variety of places to eat you can find here in Paris, from haute-cuisine temples to all-day cafés, eccentric wine bars, vintage bistros and the new “bistronomiques” serving affordable modern cuisine in a casual setting.

Remember that many top restaurants have much cheaper menus at lunch – an excellent time to sample the chef’s style and to get a table at short notice.

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L'Abeille

Chef Christophe Moret, fresh from Alain Ducasse's Plaza Athénée and the overly formal Lasserre, now seems to have found his own more relaxed, gastronomic style. The haute-cuisine restaurant of the Shangri-La hotel, named after the Napoleonic bee motif was awarded two Michelin stars in 2016. Dress up to match the elegant setting, overlooking the gardens. Moret's modernised haute-cuisine mixes grand ingredients and plenty of vegetables, as in john dory with beetroot juice, or rabbit with swiss chard and truffles, and it's possible to have tasting menus with several half-size dishes. Moret also oversees the less-expensive, all-day Bauhinia restaurant, mixing French and Asian cuisine, and even concocting the 100% Green, all vegetable dinner one Thursday a month. The Cantonese Shang Palace restaurant, under chef Sam Lee Sum is the only Chinese restaurant in Paris to have a Michelin star.

Pierre Gagnaire

A discovery trail of French cuisine from one of the most inventive chefs around today, who often finds inspiration in painting and jazz. The pared-back dining room provides the stage for a panoply of dishes, from minuscule appetisers – a tuna meringue, a clam with diced veg – to a whirlwind of desserts, all propelled by a fleet of lithe waiters. Although Pierre Gagnaire is often associated with molecular cuisine in his collaborations with scientist Hervé, this is real food, not froths and foams, with perfect seasoning and an extraordinary variety of flavours and textures. The lunch menu is a relatively affordable way to sample this extraordinary cuisine.

Pierre Gagnaire is one of the most inventive French chefs around todayCredit:
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Le Jules Verne

The extraordinary setting 400ft (122 metres) up the Eiffel Tower (reached by the restaurant’s own lift, south pillar) takes the stuffiness out of grand-occasion dining with a suave decor by Patrick Jouin and nonchalant waiters who don’t bat an eyelid when you get up to take photos. Since being taken into the Ducasse empire, Le Jules Verne has improved its food to match the views, with a modern take on grand classics byexecutive chef Pascal Féraud, right down to a chocolate bolt dessert in homage to the 2.5 million bolts that hold the tower together. The wine list is 100% French with an emphasis on a new generation of growers, particularly from Bordeaux and Burgundy. Note dress is smart – not the shorts and T-shirts of usual Eiffel Tower visitors.

Le Jules Verne in Paris has an extraordinary setting 400ft up the Eiffel TowerCredit:
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Allard

Since this classic, upmarket St-Germain bistro was taken over by Alain Ducasse in 2013, he has done what he is so good at. He has kept it exactly the same - the sequence of little rooms, the age-old French dishes that have become surprisingly hard to find - but made it much better. Try starters like tender green bean salad or snails, then garlicky frogs' legs, buttery sole meunière or Allard's classic duck with olives served for two, and a rum savarin with whipped cream to finish. Service blends friendliness and professionalism, and Ducasse protegée Laëtitia Rouabah continues the Allard tradition of female chefs (begun by Marthe Allard back in 1932). A place where nostalgia tastes delicious.

Au Comptoir du Relais

Au Comptoir du Relais is so successful that you can't get a reservation for Yves Camdeborde's no-choice, gastronomic weekday dinners unless you book several months ahead (or are lucky enough to bag a last-minute cancellation). At weekday lunchtimes and weekends for lunch and dinner, no reservations are possible, and the place is packed out with international foodies, St-Germain literary folk and ladies who shop. They come for simpler, revisited regional fare, with Camdeborde keeping up the credo he began at La Régalade – "market produce, dishes with character and friends' wines". Come very early or after the lunchtime rush if you don't want to queue. Next door at L'Avant Comptoir, you can take away a crêpe or sandwich, or squeeze in for wine, charcuterie and hors d'oeuvres, and he's recently added Avant Comptoir de la Mer, for fish and shellfish tapas to eat standing up.

Come very early or after the lunchtime rush if you don't want to queue

Georges

Thanks to its spectacular location at the top of the Centre Pompidou and futuristic architecture, you don't really come to Georges for the food, but for the fashionable crowd and fabulous panoramic view. By day, it's popular largely with museum-goers; by night it's less an art crowd than a fashion one, with DJs at the decks and a volume that pumps up. As for the food, it's modish cosmopolitan brasserie fare with fusion touches (try the famed Tigre qui Pleur - sliced steak with Thai spices). Staff with attitude are all part of the experience. After 8.50pm, access is by the rue Rambuteau end of the escalator.

You come to Georges for the fashionable crowd and fabulous panoramic view

Laurent

Haunt of politicians and powerbrokers for its proximity to the Elysée Palace and perfect, discreet service – as well as the occasional rock star. This is one of the nicest places to eat outdoors in Paris, with its well-spaced tables set in gardens on the lower reaches of the Champs-Elysées. In winter, you dine inside the circular dining room hung with period portraits. Chef Alain Pégouret modernises haute cuisine. He treats his dishes a bit like an artist's palette, perhaps the spider crab jelly served in a cocktail glass, hake marbled with green seaweed and samphire, or the palette of vegetables that might be different coloured tomatoes in summer, root vegetables in winter. There's an incredible wine list to match.

Septime

Bertrand Grébaut is one of the rising young stars of French cuisine, with a restaurant that's always full, a phone that's never answered, a Michelin star, and a wine shop offshoot around the corner. In a revolt against the stuffiness of grand restaurants, the look here is distressed bistro casual and industrial lighting, but the cuisine is polished, complex and painstakingly mastered. He changes his menu every day, with a focus on vegetables – no doubt learned from his stint at Alain Passard's Arpège – and offers a no-choice, six-stage menu at dinner. Reserve on the web well ahead for dinner, though there's more chance of a table for lunch, or try its brilliant new seafood offshoot, Clamato, two doors up, which doesn't take reservations and is open at weekends.

Ze Kitchen Galerie

William Ledeuil is one of those rare chefs who has got fusion just right at his convivial, gourmet restaurant. Or, rather, he has created his own distinctive Franco-Asian style, marrying Lozère lamb and French fish with Asian herbs and condiments, like wasabi and Thai basil. Dinner comes with mystery amuse-gueules, and many dishes use raw or plancha-grilled preparations, perhaps veal confit with tamarind, scallops with bergamot. Desserts are original, too. And it's called Kitchen Galerie because you see can see Ledeuil and his team at work in the open kitchen, and the dining area is a loft-like space with modern art on the walls.

La Truffière

A sleeper among restaurants, La Truffière quietly produces excellent, modernised classical French cuisine, with the arrival of a new chef Christophe Poard in early 2016. The setting is an ancient inn with dining rooms on the beamed ground floor or vaulted stone cellar,with all the trimmings of white linen, silverware and a cheese trolley, just seconds from the student bars and cheap eateries of rue Mouffetard. You can spend a fortune if you splurge on the special black truffle menu, a house speciality (some dishes come with and without truffle versions), and all the luxuries of scallops, wild duck and the best trout. But there's also a remarkable value daily lunch menu. The restaurant has one of the most extensive wine cellars in Paris: ask the sommelier for suggestions.

You can spend a fortune if you splurge on the special white truffle menu

Le Chateaubriand

Self-taught chef Inaki Aizpitarte is a phenomenon and you can see why. I love the contrast between the 1930s bistro setting, casual mood and famously handsome stubbly waiters and the finesse that arrives from the kitchen in a surprise menu handed out on A4 photocopied paper. I'm often wary of no-choice menus, but Aizpitarte's instinctive, creative cooking is as good as ever, with its mastery of different textures and sometimes ingenious simplicity – including on my last visit asparagus with elderflower, and delicate sweetbreads. What is ostensibly five courses is actually much more, with amuse-gueules to pick up, drink or suck through a straw. Reservations are essential, opening 21 days ahead, or try to squeeze in for tapas at Aizpitarte's Carrara marble Le Dauphin next door, designed by Rem Koolhaas.

Fogón

Paella is raised to the level of gastronomy by Spanish chef Alberto Herraiz. He prepares a range of paellas, from classic Valencian with rabbit and chicken, to a wonderful inky black squid version, and the rice of the day, served in a big round metal dish for two. Each is cooked to order and prepared with its specific stock, so start with gazpacho, well-aged Spanish ham or a selection of inventive tapas while you wait. Herraiz's attention has been applied to the elegant setting too: he has even designed the tables himself, with a clever drawer for cutlery.

Restaurant Le Cinq

2014 was all swings and roundabouts – or is it snakes and ladders? – among Paris's haute-cuisine restaurants. Discreet three-star chef Christian Le Squer from Ledoyen was brought into the grandiose dining room at the Four Seasons George V, and it's clearly paid off, as one of the two new Michelin three stars announced in February 2016. By far the mostastonishing element when I had lunch here was the sea urchin ice ball that looks like a snowball and tastes like the sea, and among other inventions are a revisited onion soup. A main course of pigeon was a little dull in comparison, though proudly Breton Le Squer clearly excels with fish, and likes sea/fruit combinations. The wine list is superb, and unlike many star chefs with global empires, Le Squer is hands on and does a tour of the tables during the meal.

Le V

Pony-tailed British chef Richard Robe worked at a host of top French restaurants, including Taillevent and Atelier Robuchon, before coming to this restaurant hidden off the Champs-Elysées. With a stained glass verrière by Gustave Eiffel and two long curved banquettes that create an oval dining room, the mood is pleasantly casual, rather than the sometimes off-putting formality of hotel restaurants, though the cooking is perfectly serious. A langoustine carpaccio is a brilliant visual surprise, to match the modern art on the walls, and I also liked the seasonal vegetables braised in beef jus, with bone marrow toast, and turbot with roast mini artichokes. There's a good wine list – though it could do with more choice by the glass – and also a stylish cocktail bar.

The mood is pleasantly casual, rather than the sometimes off-putting formality of hotel restaurants

Les Enfants Rouges

Japanese chefs producing first-rate French cuisine are a real phenomenon in Paris at the moment. The latest is Daï Shinozuka, formerly with Yves Camdeborde at Le Relais du Comptoir, and his wife, who have taken over this red-fronted bistro opposite the Marche des Enfants Rouge. She serves, he cooks and occasionally brings out the dishes himself. Expertly seasoned salmon with stewed oxtail, and free-range chicken with frothy lobster sauce, show he likes land-sea mixes, although he can also do a straightfoward steak with shallots and potato purée. The restaurant is already on the bush telegraph - when I had lunch here, a gaggle of Japanese were also dining - so reserve.

Japanese chefs producing first-rate French cuisine are a real phenomenon in Paris at the moment

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Lazare

Hôtel Bristol chef Eric Frechon has reinvented the all-day, train station brasserie at Lazare, and I can't resist its energy-filled din and spectacular setting – its walls are stacked high with plates and glasses, and two blackboards are like arrival and departure panels announcing the stages through the day. The restaurants is located at the station serving Normandy, and Normandy-born Frechon has revised some hearty regional specialities – soused mackerel, mussels, sole Dieppoise — as well as house creation Paris-Deauville, his version of the famous Paris-Brest dessert. A hit with local businessmen as well as travellers, it's also a good place for dining alone, with seats around the large island bar.

The setting is wonderful: a vast room, its walls stacked with plates and glasses, and two blackboards like arrival and departure panels announcing the stages through the day

La Poule au Pot

In these days of ever-changing restaurant fads, a few places never change. La Poule au Pot, one of the all-night restaurants that lingers in Les Halles from its days as the wholesale food market, feels much as it must have done when it opened in 1935. The star turn is still poule au pot, the poached chicken with stuffing that was the favourite dish of King Henri IV. The late hours ensure a scattering of actors and showbiz personalities (witnessed in little brass plaques), in a convivial atmosphere, though staff are very friendly and welcoming to all.

La Poule au Pot feels much as it must have done when it opened in 1935

Chez Marie Louise

Marie Louise proclaims "cuisine traditionelle". But this is tradition updated by chef Pierre Musy, teamed with maître d' Christophe Letienne, who both exchanged Gérard Depardieu's fashionable La Fontaine Gaillon restaurant for the more casual appeal of this tiny bistro near the Canal St-Martin, although I'm amazed by how many people (lots of beards, a few stray Brits) they actually squeeze in here, and how Christophe manages to serve everyone single handed. Priority goes to quality ingredients and careful preparations that stand out for their excellent seasoning. Dinner might feature chilled tomato soup, cod with aioli, boudin noir, or pigeon. At lunch, there's a bargain no-choice daily menu

Priority goes to quality ingredients and careful preparations that stand out for their excellent seasoning

Bistroy... Les Papilles

I have been coming to Les Papilles – French for tastebuds – since the days when it was largely a wine store and deli, way ahead of the current épicerie-bistro trend. Since then it has become more of a bistro, but you can still pop in to buy a saucisson sec or bottle of wine. At lunch, they mainly serve inventive salads and open sandwiches. At dinner, the wonderful daily-changing menu is centred round a long-simmered casserole (€16) – perhaps lamb navarin or garlicky chicken – that you serve yourself from the dish. Choose your wine from the shelf for a small corkage fee: affable host Bertrand Bluy will happily make suggestions.

Jaja

It's jaja as in plonk - actually far from the case given the very good selection of wines, some of them grands crus, many of them natural wines. This casual bistro draws the Marais gay and fashion sets, with its agreable setting in a small Marais mansion, with vintage-tinged interior and small, sheltered terrace. The food makes use of mainly organic ingredients, including Aubrac beef, lamb from the Lozère, vegetables from Normandy and crusty Poujaran bread. Check to see what's on offer on the good-value daily lunch menu, as they don't always tell you about it.

Jaja has an agreable setting in a small Marais mansion, with vintage-tinged interior and small, sheltered terrace

La Coupole

With its art deco interior, painted columns, tables stretching into the distance, apron-clad waiters and busyness, this legendary Montparnasse establishment is the place to experience brasserie as theatre. Although it no longer has the kudos of its artistic heyday or the days when my husband's grandmother apparently used to sweep people away with her walking stick so she could have her favourite table, the people watching - there's an intriguingly eclectic clientele - and the sheer atmosphere make dining here a fun experience. Feast on fabulous oysters and shellfish, classic steaks, sole meunière, or the unlikely speciality of lamb curry, a fixture since La Coupole opened in 1927. There's also the basement "Dancing", open some evenings for afterwork, salsa or Latino club nights. If you just want to snack, the glazed terrace at the front is open for a drink, club sandwich, dessert or plate of oysters all day long.

This legendary Montparnasse establishment is the place to experience brasserie as theatre

Aux Verres de Contact

Despite the name, this is not an optician's but a small, tranquil bistro serving very good, modernised bistro cooking that shows real care in the kitchen. The daily lunch menu is a true bargain, while the full menu offers more choice, with dishes that sound classic (steak tartare, veal chop), but are deftly updated and seasoned — sea bream and beetroot carpaccio with ginger, cod with squid ink, peppers and chorizo, haddock in bright green sorrel sauce. The small front room has a view of the tiny open kitchen, but I prefer the room behind, stretching the width of the building, where ancient stone walls are jazzed up with scarlet and orange touches and metal lamps.

This is not an opticians but a small, tranquil bistro serving very good, modernised bistro cooking that shows real care in the kitchen

Le Chardenoux des Prés

The second Chardenoux opened by Cyril Lignac, a charismatic TV chef who is France's version of Jamie Oliver, relishes in the glories of French tradition. The menu changes every couple of weeks, in succulent, market-led dishes with a few southwestern accents, like chipirones (baby squid), that show Lignac's origins. While the first Chardenoux is a listed belle époque gem, this Left Bank version is vintage 40s, with an almost rustic, provincial look from outside, and a shabby-chic appeal within - you sit along the marble counter or settle into buff leatherette booths against gloriously kitsch rose-covered wallpaper.

This Left Bank restaurant is vintage 40s, with an almost rustic, provincial look from outside, and a shabby-chic appeal within

Les Cocottes Tour Eiffel

Christian Constant, once three-Michelin-starred chef at the Crillon, inspired a whole generation of chefs to go it alone before doing so himself. This is his variant on the modern diner, where you sit on stools along the counter (ideal if you're alone or a couple), or at small, high tables for three or four in the company of chic ladies and a set from nearby embassies and ministries. There are a few starters and comfort desserts, but it is the cocottes, dishes simmered slowly in a black, cast-iron cocotte or casserole, that count. Combinations go from rustic pig's trotters and potatoes to grander monkfish and vegetables or pigeon. As well as Constant's two other restaurants next door (dressy Violin d'Ingres and casual all-day Café Constant), he has also recently opened a branch at the Sofitel Arc de Triomphe.

It is the cocottes, dishes simmered slowly in a black, cast-iron cocotte or casserole, that count here

Le 6 Paul Bert

The offspring of Bistrot Paul Bert was one of my best finds of 2013. Actually, I prefer it to its parent, with its less cliquey ambience, and lighter, more modern touch, producing exactly the sort of satisfying seasonal cooking one wants. The long narrow room with its zinc bar and almost de rigueur grocery selection at the front stretches under a cutlery chandelier made from spoons and forks to what really counts: the open kitchen, where you can see the young chef bustling away. It has a great value daily menu at lunch, and an evening menu where you choose three dishes and a dessert.

Les 110 de Taillevent

It's 110 as in 110 different wines available by the glass – the largest choice in France. Les 110 de Taillevent offers an intelligent updating of the brasserie centred round wine. With ten starters, ten mains and ten desserts and cheeses, and four wine proposals for each dish, mixing countries and colours and in four different price ranges, this is wine and food pairing made easy. Despite being in a smart business district, it's also a happily democratic approach, with all wines available by the glass or half glass. Satisfying French dishes include sea bass carpaccio, oeuf meurette (egg poached in red wine), merlan colbert (whiting fried in breadcrumbs served with sauce tartare) and rack of lamb. Wines range from simple Loire Valley reds to Yquem, and discoveries like Ukrainian wine and rare port.

Hôtel Amour

Once a hotel for prostitutes, the ever-so-hip Hôtel Amour has been turned into arty hotel conceived by artist/nightclub entrepreneur André and Thierry Costes in the burgeoning SoPi (South Pigalle) district. Its restaurant has a deliberately retro-chic décor of vintage lightsfrom the flea market, formica and 70s bar, and a picturesquely overgrown courtyard garden that is glazed over in winter. And for somewhere that's wildly trendy, the mainly Parisian diners are cheerfully eclectic. It is also thankfully unpretentious and relaxed, whether you're after a buzzy evening or a romantic, candlelit dinner niched in the rockery. Staff are very friendly and happily flexible whether you want a complete dinner on old faves like steak tartare, fish and chips, a cheeseburger and chocolate mousse, or to simply snack on radishes and a tin of sardines.

For somewhere that's wildly trendy, it is also thankfully unpretentious and relaxed

Métropolitain

Young chef Paul-Arthur Berlan came to attention on TV show Top Chef, but he trained at top restaurants Michel Sarran and Le Meurice, before heading the tiny team at this friendly new Marais bistro. The attractively presented mix of hearty regional fare (southern stuffed squid) and modern creations (perhaps a broth containing Japanese dumplings filled with beef stew) draws on seasonal produce or what's coming out of his wife's market garden in Normandy. The bistro has an attractive metro-themed décor with white tiles, vintage advertising posters and slatted wooden benches. It overlooks a garden at the rear and it's hoped they'll be able to use it as a terrace in summer.

L'Ourcine

Reopened after a lengthy restoration of the 17th-century building, this is one of my favourite bistros. I like it for its reliable cuisine, relaxed chatty atmosphere and eclectic Left Bank clientele. Sylvain Danière was part of La Régalade clan in the days of Yves Camdeborde, and he keeps up the credo of revisited regional cuisine, produced from a tiny kitchen spied through a wooden dresser at the rear. Fresh fish delivered daily from Brittany and seasonal game in autumn are particularly good, and there are also plenty of fans for the delicious chocolately desserts.

Le Pré Verre

With a corner spot near the Collège de France, Le Pré Verre quickly became a Latin Quarter fixture when it opened a decade ago. It recently changed hands but many of the original team have stayed, and new owner Jean-François Paris keeps up the spirit of seasonal bistro cooking, unusual combinations and exotic spices (coffee mashed potato, cardamom-flavoured caramel), with some of the Delacourcelle brothers' original dishes, and a varied selection of regional wines. I still like it best at lunchtime when it's the ever-packed, chatty haunt of bargain-seeking academics, almost all of whom opt for the no-choice lunch menu (two courses, small glass of wine and coffee); there's a more international set at night. Ask for a table on the ground floor or terrace rather than in the basement.

This restaurant draws Latin Quarter academics for its bargain lunch menu (two courses, wine and coffee), and a more international set in the evening

Au Rendez-Vous des Camionneurs

With its colourful banquettes, a few tables outdoors and two dining rooms, one opening onto the quays, the other on historic place Dauphine, this bistro is a good find on Ile de la Cité. It adheres tenaciously to its old name as a lorry drivers' café, though surely draws a rather more elegant clientele today. Revisited brasserie fare served all day includes a croque monsieur with smoked haddock, goat's cheese and herring roe, pasta with veal bolognaise, or you can also just pop in for a plate of charcuterie or cheese and a glass of wine. There's even a blanquette de veau in tribute to Inspector Maigret and the police HQ up the street

Au Rendez-vous des Camionneurs has colourful banquettes and a few seats outside

Macéo

Macéo was a pioneer in offering real vegetarian options – still a rarity in a city where many restaurants remain rigorously carnivorous. Meat eaters may be tempted to mix vegetarian and other dishes, ordering perhaps seasonal mushrooms on the one hand, braised beef or scallops on the other, as the chef revisits French classics in what he dubs "nutri-gourmande" cuisine. The setting is lovely, too: a series of beautiful, high-ceilinged dining rooms in an 18th-century building, including casual bar section, cosy library and first-floor salon with ornate stucco mouldings. The wine list chosen by Englishman Mark Williamson, who also runs nearby Willie's Wine Bar, is wide ranging and particularly renowned for its fine Côtes du Rhone.

The chef revisits French classics in what he dubs "nutri-gourmande" cuisine

Le Mansouria

Kilims, brass trays, tiled tables and carved wooden screens set the scene for the refined cooking of Fatima Hal, the grande dame of Moroccan cuisine in Paris and cookbook writer, who proudly maintains a tradition handed down from mother to daughter. Tagines are a speciality, including the mourouzia (lamb, spices, raisins and almonds), said to date back to the 12th century, and the tangy chicken with preserved lemons and olives. All the details count here. Starters, which include pigeon pastilla and carrots with orange water and cumin, are particularly good – you can order a selection to share between the table.

Hôtel du Nord

The hotel immortalised in the 1930s in Marcel Carné's film of the same name (though that was shot in a studio) is now a bistro and bar, with suitably film-tinged décor – there are movie lights and old photos on the wall. Stick to more traditional-sounding dishes rather than occasional exotic fantasies, but occasional culinary failings are made up for by the prime location overlooking the Canal St-Martin . It's particularly pleasant for Sunday lunch, when the quaysides are closed to traffic and Parisians pile in for brunch or bistro classics. It's also an all-day café, where you can stop for tea or a glass of wine, play chess in the salon or browse books in the library.

The hotel immortalised in the 1930s in Marcel Carné's film of the same name is now a bistro and bar

MiniPalais

Smart Parisians, international exhibition-goers and business lunchers eye each other in this chic, cosmopolitan update of the Parisian brasserie set inside the belle époque Grand Palais . "Mini" is perhaps a misnomer for the spectacular dining room that is inspired by an artist's studio, or the tables outdoors, stretching away under the colonnade. The menu devised by Eric Frechon, Michelin three-star chef at Le Bristol, mixes classic and contemporary — squid pil pil, curried prawns, steak tartare, and a giant rum baba for two. As well as lunch and dinner, you can come here for gourmet snacks, afternoon tea and evening cocktails, and there's an ice-cream bar in summer.

Smart Parisians, international exhibition-goers and business lunchers eye each other in this chic, cosmopolitan update of the Parisian brasserie

Mon Vieil Ami

This sleek, chic, gourmet bistro on the main thoroughfare of the Ile St-Louis is masterminded by Strasbourg chef Antoine Westermann, who puts the emphasis on revisited French regional cooking. Vegetables get pride of place in dishes like Tarbais beans and lamb, or guinea fowl with chanterelle mushrooms and spinach, and there are always some vegetarian dishes on the carte that change with the season. The high-ceilinged, 17th-century dining room has been stylishly updated and the tightly packed tables and one high communal table d'hôte (that can be reserved for up to 14 people) ensure a lively atmosphere, perfect for eavesdropping. One of my favourite options for Sunday lunch, when many bistros are closed.

The high-ceilinged, 17th-century dining room has been stylishly updated

L'Avant-Goût

This neat, red-and-yellow bistro in the villagey Butte-aux-Cailles district is always a reliable bet, with a friendly unpretentious atmosphere. Chef Christophe Beaufront juggles French regional tradition and cosmopolitan influences, so amid warming soups and casseroles, thick steaks and confits, you might find duck fillet with green tea risotto, cod with Chinese cabbage or saté suckling pig. The lunch menu is an incredible bargain for the soup and dish of the day, glass of wine and coffee. On the three-course menu, you can sample Beaufront's trademark pot-au-feu aux épices, a succulent, gingery pork stew, accompanied by a glass of broth.

This neat, red-and-yellow bistro in the villagey Butte-aux-Cailles district is always a reliable bet

La Cagouille

Fish is often notoriously expensive in Paris but this restaurant, in a modern part of Montparnasse, has long been one of Paris's bargains, drawing a faithful clientele. André Robert has taken over from longtime owner-chef Gérard Allemandou but the standard remains: fresh fish and shellfish in preparations so minimalist they sometimes shock at first – tiny buttery clams, grilled razor shells, baby soles with new potatoes, mackerel in mustard sauce – but perfectly timed. Add excellent service, a wine list focused on the Loire and Burgundy, an outstanding collection of Cognacs, and a spacious terrace in summer. It recently opened an oyster shack, Le Cabanon de l'Ecailler (open Tue-Sat), next door.

Fish is often notoriously expensive in Paris but this restaurant, in a modern part of Montparnasse, has long been one of Paris's bargains

Régalade Conservatoire

The original Régalade in the 14th arrondissement was the forerunner of the bistronomique trend and the return to terroir, first under Yves Camdeborde, then Bruno Doucet. This third incarnation is in a stylish new hotel, where Jean-Michel Wilmotte's décor obeys all the codes of bistro style, in a sleek dining room with black and white checkerboard floor. Like its parent, quality regional ingredients take pride of place in dishes like pumpkin soup, braised beef cheeks or pollack with turnip ribbons, and it's doing very well, though it's a pity there isn't a cheaper lunchtime menu. Finish with the now-classic Grand Marnier soufflé, or the homely rice pudding "like my grandmother made it".

Jean-Michel Wilmotte's décor obeys all the codes of bistro style, in a sleek dining room with black and white checkerboard floor

Caillebotte

Traditional varnish has been replaced by the unfinished look of raw plywood, indicative of the casual, modern approach of this much talked about recent addition to Parisian bistronomie, which is round the corner from the foodie shops of rue des Martyrs. The downside is that it's full of bloggers snapping food pics, but for all that it feels relaxed, the staff are friendly and the food is just what you want: light, modern, seasonal and artistically presented. Starters – perhaps mullet ceviche with a swirl of crunchy, purplish-orange heirloom carrots, or asparagus with cuttlefish — seem more interesting than the main courses. For dessert, there are lots of citrussy things. The same team also run nearby Le Pantruche on rue Victor Massé.

Traditional varnish has been replaced by the unfinished look of raw plywood, indicative of a casual, modern approach

Le Petit Retro

Seemingly unchanged since 1904, with its flowery tiles and vintage coffee machine on the bar, this pretty little bistro was recently given a new injection of life by former TV journalist Grégory Poirier and his wife. They've kept the deliberately old-fashioned dishes, such as veal kidneys with purple mustard and blanquette de veau, along with seasonal suggestions on the blackboard, while cultivating the air of a bistro du (chic) quartier with napkin rings for regulars. It feels warm and convivial, and I love the idea of the pâtisserie of the day, to share between two.

It feels warm and convivial, and I love the idea of the pâtisserie of the day, to share between two

Astier

This place has ranked pretty high up my favourite restaurants ever since I first came here in the 1990s and wowed over its generously overflowing cheese tray. The cheese tray, pine wainscotting and checked napkins, the serve-yourself vat of herring fillets and veal kidneys that speak of another era are still here but Astier also knows how to live with the times. The room has recently been opened up with new lighting and a bar, where you can have snacks at the counter, while chef Mathieu Le Tirrand has lightened the sauces and favours low-temperature cooking. Owner Frédéric Hubag maintains the tradition of a superb wine list (especially from Burgundy and the Rhône), service is affable and the mood leisurely and welcoming for a clientele that ranges from young arty types to multi-generational families and elderly couples. There's always a nice welcome for children here; they'll even do a kids' version of the rum baba – without the rum. Note that after a fire in the kitchen, Astier will be closed until at least the end of April, so check before coming.

The mood leisurely and welcoming for a clientele that ranges from young arty types to multi-generational families and elderly couples

Chez Fernand

It's not alway easy to find good places to eat in St-Germain but this little beamed bistro, on a side street behind the former market, happily continues to produce age-old dishes, like snails, boeuf bourguignon and roast veal kidneys, along with tempting desserts. Others dig into big steaks. There are a couple of tables outside on the pavement, but it's much more preferable to sit inside – a small, narrow space with ever-so-trad red banquettes and red and white checked cloths. Most of the people who come here for lunch are clearly regulars, some of whom greet chef Rémi Lebon by name when he comes out of the kitchen.

It's not alway easy to find good places to eat in St-Germain but this little beamed bistro happily continues to produce age-old dishes

Clover

Between leaving Thoumieux and opening the ever-so-modestly named Le Grand Restaurant, openly aimed at acquiring three stars (not yet done), Jean-François Piège and his wife also opened Clover, this tiny little bistro hidden on a St-Germain side street, which i can't help but feel is his most personal restaurant yet. Essentially a long corridor, a tiny open kitchen takes up the back half, a banquette and line of tables the front, with a subtle mix between rustic — the slice of tree trunk board on which a starter of pâté, pickle and sauccisson are presented – and urban sophistication. But the wow factor for me came from the scallop cooked on a hot stone pavé (one of those stone cubes thrown by students in the May 1968 "revolution"), brought sizzling to the table, which even gives you the option of whether to take it off straight away or let it continue cooking for a while, the sort of thing you simply can't imagine him ever daring to present to diners at his grander and pricier establishment.

Dans Les Landes

From the outside, this just looks like a cheerful everyday café, but foodwise this is a bistronomic trip to southwest France with some cosmopolitan tinges. There are Asian touches and a few trips across the border to the Spanish side of the Basque Country as well – or as the restaurant puts it "In Les Landes, but in Paris". As it's mainly tapas-style dishes – in generous portion sizes – the best approach is to come here with a few friends and share several different dishes, seated around a communal table or a barrel inside or outside on the terrace (heated in winter). Being from the southwest there are several duck options (duck nems, foie gras fritters), though my favourites are the wooden clog full of chipirons (fried squid), and the original take on crème brûlée in passion-fruit skins, which adds a welcome touch of tangy acidity.

Paradis

It's hard to resist a name like paradise for a meal out, especially on a street with an ever-growing number of trendy places to eat and drink. In the evening, there's a large choice of artistically presented creations, perhaps scallops with shellfish juice and sea lettuce or lamb with ceps and salsify. However, I've like to come here for lunch, when there's a bargain three-course €16 menu, though the limited choice can be a bit of a risk, depending what's on offer on the day: on my last visit turkey with multi-coloured carrots or scorpion fish and a fruity panna cotta. The airy two-storey space has chipboard tables and banquettes downstairs, larger communal tables and a hidden garden upstairs, with a staircase said to have come from the steamliner France. Staff could be a little warmer, though they were happy to let us sit and chat for hours.

Tokyo Eat

The big restaurant at the Palais de Tokyo is a fun place to eat and happily it's now open every day, even when the art space is closed. In winter, it runs inside, along the ground-floor facade of the building, with artists' chairs and sputnik-style lights. But the real plus is summer, when it migrates outdoors onto the airy terrace that spans the arch between the Palais de Tokyo and Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. I enjoyed the thick gazpacho soup and mains include salmon tartare with spinach salad and hot dishes like roast chicken and spare ribs. The mood is laidback and friendly, and I much prefer it to the pricier, more pretentious Monsieur Bleu at the other end of the Palais. Staff bring out red blankets if it starts to get a little chilly.

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Breizh Cafe

Named Breizh after the Breton for Brittany, this is the place that made the pancake gourmet, and although not particularly budget as crêperies go, it’s streets ahead of the competition in terms of quality. While crêperies are often dismissed as restaurants for children, here the setting is distressed beach hut and the clientele fashionable Marais. The choice of savoury galettes and sweet crêpes ranges from classic complète (egg, cheese and ham) to imaginative creations. A taste of authentic Brittany (with a sibling in Cancale), many ingredients are proudly sourced from Brittany, from organic buckwheat to Breizh Cola. Accompany your galette with cider - there's a list of almost twenty types.

Jeanne B

This is the second of the casual all-day, eaterie-delis opened by the owners of venerable bistro Astier. It's a happy arrival on the street that winds up Montmartre hill, with a lovely welcome from young chef Cyril Boulet, who mans the counter. Spit-roast Challans chicken is the house classic, but you can also go modern and gourmet with a verrine of snails or a luxury lobster sandwich, along with roast lamb and assorted pies from a blackboard choice that changes every week. It has a deli counter and grocery section at the front, where you can take away charcuterie, cheese and homemade desserts and madeleines.

This is the second of the casual all-day, eaterie-delis opened by the owners of venerable bistro Astier

Chez Omar

I've been coming to Chez Omar ever since I arrived in Paris. It's a favourite of mine for its friendly waiters, vintage bistro setting, cheerfully eclectic diners – Marais gallerists, fashionistas, gay couples, families, they are very nice to children and will happily bring crayons for kids to draw on the brown paper tablecloths– and, of course, the couscous. There are no elaborate tagines here, just well-prepared couscous, with a choice of mechoui, grilled lamb kebabs, merguez sausage or vegetarian. I usually go for the kebabs, with a big vat of stewed vegetables, harissa if you want, and a platter of couscous grain. Finish with Oriental pastries, or strawberries and cream, and mint tea. They don't take reservations, so arrive early for dinner if you don't want to queue in the street.

Le Bistro des Dames

A clutter of paintings and posters, and the treat of a hidden, overgrown tropical garden courtyard at the rear, are all part of the aura at this bistro adjoining the quirkily bohemian Hôtel Eldorado in burgeoning Batignolles. A local arty set pops in for the laid-back, friendly atmosphere, home cooking and wines from small producers. The speciality is slow-cooked stews, perhaps tender pork cheeks or lamb navarin with seasonal veg, although you'll also find a fish of the day, big main-course salads, and good desserts. Be patient: in keeping with the mood, service is leisurely.

A local arty set pops in for the laid-back, friendly atmosphere, home cooking and wines from small producers

L'Ecurie

I'm not going to pretend that this is a gourmet destination but I still can't resist coming here for the sheer experience of eating in the ancient cellars. Just the answer when you're after a juicy steak, bossy service and lots of atmosphere. The ground floor was once stables (spot the hay rack along one wall), and although there are a few tables outside in summer, it's best in winter, when you descend the perilous staircase into several levels of vaulted cellars. Feast in flickering candlelight on the bargain, three-course menu, with chargrilled steaks and homemade chips. Despite being in a touristed part of town, L'Ecurie caters to as many Parisians as visitors from out of town. It's near the Sorbonne and Lycée Henri IV, so very popular with celebrating students.

Bistrot du Peintre

This listed, art nouveau café-bistro has a gorgeous 1902 décor of sinuous woodwork and tiled, allegorical figures of spring and summer. It is much loved by a laidback Bastille crowd for its satisfying, inexpensive cuisine. The choice goes from utterly trad snails or oeuf meurette (egg poached in red wine), steak tartare and some southwestern French touches – my daughter's a fan of the confit de canard – to inventive salads and creative tomato Tatin with red pepper sorbet, so there's sure to be something to suit different tastes. All-day service is very useful when you’re on holiday. Try to be seated on the more atmospheric ground floor rather than upstairs.

Michi

Located in the heart of Paris's Little Japan, Michi is a tiny, canteen-like hole in the wall, indicated only by a fish and the word sushi on the facade. It was recommended by a Japanese friend, for some of the best, authentic, and least expensive, sushi and sashimi along rue Sainte-Anne. If you're lucky, bag one of the half-a-dozen places along the counter where you can watch the chef at work, otherwise you'll be squashed into the tiny cellar. There are good-value formules, but go à la carte if you want rarer offerings such as sea urchin and eel.